A Hybrid Autonomous Delivery System Using GPS Navigation with Integrated Surveillance and Human-in-the-Loop Control

The rapid growth of e-commerce and urban logistics has increased the demand for efficient and secure last-mile delivery solutions. This paper presents the design and implementation of a GPS-based autonomous delivery robot equipped with an integrated real-time surveillance system and remote manual control capability. The proposed system aims to address key challenges in autonomous delivery, including navigation accuracy, environmental adaptability, and operational safety. The robot uses GPS technology for navigation based on waypoints. This allows the robot to move on specific paths without the need for human intervention. A camera module is integrated into the robot for surveillance purposes. This allows for live video streaming of the surroundings of the robot, ensuring the safe operation of the robot. A humanin-the-loop manual override mechanism is combined with autonomous navigation in a hybrid control architecture. Through a wireless communication link, the operator can remotely operate the robot in real time in situations when GPS errors, impediments, or unforeseen circumstances arise. This dual mode functioning lowers the chance of delivery failure and increases reliability. The system is built using embedded hardware components, including a microcontroller-based control unit, motor drivers, GPS module, and wireless communication interfaces such as Wi-Fi or cellular networks. Experimental results demonstrate the robot’s ability to navigate predefined paths, maintain stable communication for video transmission, and seamlessly switch between autonomous and manual modes. The proposed solution offers a cost-effective and scalable approach for secure and efficient last-mile delivery, with potential applications in urban logistics, campus delivery systems, and surveillance-assisted transportation.